Giveaways and Reviews

Snuggle In {Simon + Schuster Giveaway}

November 4, 2019
131 Comments

The snow is flying (for some of us, anyway) and now that Thanksgiving and Halloween – the big events of autumn – are behind us, we can snuggle in, grab a coffee (I might be over pumpkin spice by now) and dig into a new read. I’m a little short on my goal of 20 books for 2019 but I’ve decided that it’s a better goal for 2020 anyway, don’t you think? In any case, with 16 books now read in 2019, two of the books below being a part of that, I’m doing quite well for the year. These recent releases from Simon + Schuster arrived at my door a few weeks ago:

Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada Beverley McLachlin offers an intimate and revealing look at her life, from her childhood in the Alberta foothills to her career on the Supreme Court, where she helped to shape the social and moral fabric of the country.
In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke Ellis’s parents and load him into a black SUV. The operation takes less than two minutes. Luke will wake up at The Institute, in a room that looks just like his own, except there’s no window. And outside his door are other doors, behind which are other kids with special talents—telekinesis and telepathy—who got to this place the same way Luke did: Kalisha, Nick, George, Iris, and ten-year-old Avery Dixon. They are all in Front Half. Others, Luke learns, graduated to Back Half, “like the roach motel,” Kalisha says. “You check in, but you don’t check out.”
First loves, first songs, and the drugs and reckless high school exploits that fueled them—meet music icons Tegan and Sara as you’ve never known them before in this intimate and raw account of their formative years
In this extraordinary and inspiring debut memoir, Jesse Thistle, once a high school dropout and now a rising Indigenous scholar, chronicles his life on the streets and how he overcame trauma and addiction to discover the truth about who he is.
This instant New York Times bestseller and longlist recipient for the 2020 Andrew Carnegie Medal takes place in 1941, during humanity’s darkest hour, and follows three unforgettable young women who must act with courage and love to survive.
We keep dogs and are kept by them. We love dogs and (we assume) we are loved by them. We buy them sweaters, toys, shoes; we are concerned with their social lives, their food, and their health. The story of humans and dogs is thousands of years old but is far from understood. In Our Dogs, Ourselves, Alexandra Horowitz explores all aspects of this unique and complex interspecies pairing.

I have been, and continue to be, a big Tegan and Sara fan since about 2000 so I was eager to read High School first from this delivery. I finished it in just a few short days. The book is an easy read, alternating in storytelling between sisters Tegan and Sara. It was interesting to see where their memories overlapped, and how the other was feeling at the time. It was an eye-opener, but also helped me dive deeper into the writing and music from this duo. If you’re a fan, old or new, I recommend the read! It also prompted me to find Under Feet Like Ours (the first album I had of theirs) and play it in my car for a solid week. Still can’t find the photo I took with them after a show at The Exchange here in Regina in early 2001, but when I do, you know I’ll share it!

The book I’m currently reading and really liking is Stephen King’s The Institute. Stephen King’s writing scares me. I read Pet Semetary as a teenager and it pretty much scarred me for life, and later read The Stand (P.S. Whoopi Goldberg is currently filming a remake of the original filming of it for TV) but haven’t picked up any of his recent releases. I’m about halfway through The Institute and have been telling those around me about it excitedly. Without giving away more of the plot than already shared, if you’re a fan of ABC’s new hit Emergence, or Netflix’s Stranger Things, you’ll really like this book.

One lucky reader is going to win all 5 of the book titles above courtesy of Simon + Schuster Canada! Perfect for gift giving to people on your list, I won’t tell if you decide to keep them all for yourself either!

To enter to win, just fill in your name and email address in the form below and click BEGIN! Then just leave a comment on this blog post telling me which book you would for sure GIFT to someone on your list and which book you would for sure KEEP for yourself!

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131 Comments

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  • I would gift Our Dogs, Ourselves to my dog-loving bestie, and I would keep Truth Be Told. I really want to read that one!

  • I would gift ‘The Insitute’ to my sister! I would love to keep and read ‘From the Ashes’ Thank you!

    • I am dying to read.. From the Ashes. After I read High School .. real quick… I will gift it to my cousin. ❤

  • I would gift Our Dogs, Ourselves to my friend that loves her dog like her children, and I would keep The World That we Knew for myself to read

  • I would Gift Stephen King’s new book The Institute to my grandson(and borrow it to read myself) and keep High School by Tegan & Sara for myself(I might share it with my granddaughter later). Really I would love to keep them all for myself!

  • i would gift the Stephen King book to my husband, I would love the Alice Hoffman book — the dog book also looks interesting as well !

  • I would gift the tegan and sarah book to my daughter and I’d keep the Stephen king book for myself. Havent read him in awhile and really enjoyed his novels in the past.

  • I would keep The World that we Knew as I am anxious to read it and I would gift Stephen King’s The Institute to my daughter as she enjoys scarier books than I do.

  • I would gift From the Ashes and I would keep The Institute. Stephen King is my favorite author.

  • I would gift Tegan and Sara, although I’d probably flip through it beforehand, and Truth Be Told would be first on the read list!

  • I’d for sure gift “Our Dogs, Ourselves” to my friend Lisa, and I’d totally keep “The World That We Knew” fpor myself.

  • I already have all my plans made for gifting if I win! Our Dogs, Ourselves to my middle sister, The Institute to my dad, Truth Be Told to my mom, From the Ashes to my older sister, High School to my oldest niece and The World That We Knew to me (I’m not sure which 5 of the 6 books are the actual prize so I made plans for them all haha). 🙂

  • I would keep The Institute, because I love Stephen King, and I would gift Truth be told to my daughter.

  • I would gift the Tegan and Sara book to my cousin, and keep the Stephen King for myself.

  • I would GIFT Stephen King’s book ‘The Institute’ to one of my adult children, and I would KEEP Jesse Thistle’s ‘From The Ashes’! Thank you!

  • Our dogs, ourselves would be gifted to my daughter. From the Ashes I’d keep for myself.

  • I would gift Steven King The Institute to my sister I would keep Truth be Told by Beverley McLachlin

  • I would gift Our Dogs, Ourselves and would love to keep and read Stephen King’s The Institute.

  • I would gift Our Dogs, Ourselves, and definitely keep The Institute. I’ve been a Stephen King fan since the late 70s (and Carrie).

  • I would keep the Stephen king one or the Alice Hoffman one. And gift the dog one to my mom

  • I would gift from the ashes to my business partner Sonya as she relishes in all things culture and I would keep the Institute as I can’t pull myself away from a great Stephen King!

  • I would gift Our Dogs, Ourselves to my aunt because she loves her dog like a child (as she should!) and I would keep the Tegan and Sara book for myself because I’m a big fan!

  • I would gift Our Dogs, Ourselves to my brother. He’s always had a dog (or two) and I’d keep The Institute for myself. I’m a huge Stephen King fan.

  • I am not sure what I would gift. I would absolutely keep Stephen king for myself I have been reading his work for decades. After this years transfer I decided in our new town that a book club would be a great way to meet and socialize. These books would come in handy for sure.

  • I’d gift Stephen King’s “The Institute” to a horror lover and keep “Our Dogs, Ourselves” for myself.

  • I would gift the Alice Hoffman book to my sister because I’ve already read it and I know she would love it. I would keep the Stephen King book. I’m on a 6 month wait list at my library for it.

  • I would gift From the Ashes, as I have read it and LOVED it (and have told everyone they neeeeed to read it lol) and would keep Our Dogs Ourselves for myself!

  • I would give “Our Dogs, Ourselves” to my daughter, who owns 3 dogs 🙂 and I would keep “The Institute” for myself!

  • Truth Be Told would be perfect for Joanne, and Our Dogs, Ourselves would be ideal for me. Love all things dogs!

  • I would gift Our Dogs, Ourselves to one of my dog walking client i would love to read truth be told

  • The Institution for my mom for sure too scary for me! And I’ll keep the Teagan and Sara one for myself!

  • I would gift The World That We Knew & I would keep The Institute – thanks for the generous contest & chance to win!!

  • I would read from The Ashes and gift The Institute to my sister. That way I could read them both!

  • I would gidt Our Dogs, Ourselves to my sister. She loves her dogs and I think she would enjoy the book. I would definitely keep The Institute. It sounds so good!

  • I’d keep the Stephen King for myself, I find giving books away very difficult unless I’ve read them myself first! However I’ll make an exception this time and choose High School to give to my granddaughter who’s also an avid reader and loves to read mine – she’s 11 yrs old so not all of mine are suitable but I think this one would be.

  • I would gift Truth Be Told to my sister because she’s a lawyer, and I would keep The Institute for myself!

  • I think my daughter would love the Stephen king, the other daughter would get high school, mom would get Alice Hoffman. Not sure about the rest 🤔

  • I would like to keep Stephen King’s book, The Institute and gift Alice Hoffman’s book The World That We Knew to my Mum

  • I would get the Stephen King’s The Institute for my daughter. She is a big fan of Stephen King.

  • I would gift Stephen Kings book to my hubby as he loves horror and I would keep From The Ashes for myself

  • I’d give The Insitute to my aunt betty, and I’d keep Truth Be Told…..thanks very much for the chance!

  • I would gift “Truth be Told” to my husband. He loves this sort of non fiction/autobiography, pertaining to the law, this is so up his alley.
    I would keep the Alice Hoffman novel, this is already on my reading list!

  • I would give From the Ashes to my granddaughter Erin and would keep The Institute for my self. All the books would be good to read.

  • My good friend would love ” The World that We Knew” I would most definitely read The Institute 🙂

  • I would keep ‘The Institute” for myself because I love Stephen King, he is an amazing author!! I would gift ‘Our Dogs, Ourselves’ for sure!

  • I would keep Stephen King and gift Our Dogs, Ourselves to my friend who works in a shelter!

  • I’d gift Our Dogs, Ourselves to my brother and I’d definitely keep The Institute for myself! Love Stephen King!

  • I would gift Our Dogs, Ourselves to my brother-in-law and I would keep The World That we Knew for myself!

  • I would gift the Stephen King book to my best Friend for Christmas and I really would love to read Truth be Told. Thanks for this wonderful chance

  • I would gift Our Dogs, Ourselves to my husband and The Institute to myself for some holiday reading.

  • I would keep From The Ashes for myself, and gift The Institute for my dad who is a big Stephen King fan!

  • I would keep The Institute for myself and gift From The Ashes by Jesse Thistle (the best inspirational book I have ever read) to someone I love!

  • I love biographies so I’d keep ‘Truth Be Told’,my sister gets ‘Our Dogs,Ourselves’,she has several :).

  • I would give the Stephen King book to my niece, who is a big fan of the author and I would for sure keep for myself the From the Ashes book.

  • I’d read “The Institute” and give “Our Dogs” to my sister-in-law, who is a huge dog person!

  • I would gift Our Dogs, Our Selves to a doggo-loving pal, and keep Tegan & Sara for myself to read! I’ve always loved them 🙂

  • I am a huge Stephen King fan, so I would keep the Institute. My bestie is a lover of all dogs,big and small so I would gift her Our Dogs, Ourselves.

  • I would keep the Our Dogs Ourselves and Gift the Stephen King The Institute to my son who is a huge fan.

  • I would gift Our Dogs Ourselves to my husband (our dog likes him way more then she likes me) and I would keep the Alice Hoffman The World that we Knew as she is one of my favourite authors.

  • I would gift the Alice Hoffman book to a family member and would keep the dog book for myself!

  • I would gift The Institute. There are die hard Stephen King fans in the family.

    I would keep The World We Live In. I’ve always been drawn to books of the WWII era and seeing this one is about women is a big plus for me.

  • I would for sure keep The Institute, by Stephen King for myself and give From the Ashes to my sister.

  • The Institute would definitely be my first choice to keep. With so many others available, I could put one in the stocking of everyone on my list

  • I would gift ‘The Institute’ to my sister. I would for sure keep ‘Our Dogs, Ourselves’ for me.

  • I would keep From the Ashes for myself, while gifting The Institute to my brother and The world We Knew to my mum.

tenille-lafontaine

Feisty Things

https://feistyfrugalandfabulous.com/feisty-things/

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